SaturnalienS, the third full-length album by Boston's The Amplifier Heads, has been rightfully described as a "graphic novel for the ears and head". It's a throwback to a time when you'd put on your headphones and just sit there getting lost in a rock and roll record. Does anyone still do that? SaturnalienS was written and produced by singer/guitarist Sal Baglio, who has been writing rocking, hook-laden tunes for 40 years plus with bands such as The Stompers and the recent supergroup The Peppermint Kicks. With Baglio, you always know you're getting a highlight reel of the coolest sounds in the history of rock and roll. Running the gamut from roots rock and roll to the British Invasion to garage rock to glam to '70s arena rock, SaturnalienS launches these classic sounds into a fantastical outer space odyssey full of ghost stars, rocket boys, earth girls, young dolls, and beheaded amps. SaturnalienS plays like the hottest-selling album in the solar system -- garnering rave reviews and heavily rotated airplay on every rocket ship, space station, and extraterrestrial watering hole from the moon to Uranus. Those of you who couldn't get enough of Baglio's contributions to The Peppermint Kicks' debut album will be delighted to find that SaturnalienS is in a very similar vein. Needless to say, glam rock is at the center of this sonic adventure. "GlamoRama" is that rare tribute song that can stand toe-to-toe with the iconic music it celebrates. "Bat Shit Crazy" will have humans and aliens alike clapping and stomping with whatever appendages they may possess. "On the Moon" evokes the spirit of David Bowie in epic fashion. But in typical Amplifier Heads style, this album dishes out a tremendous variety of amazing rock and roll tunes. "Ghost Star Rider" is a surf rock instrumental gone to space, while "Earth Girls on the Loose" is the ultimate in wild, high energy rock and roll. "Peppermint Kicks" will scratch your itch for classic riff-driven hard rock. "The House of Young Dolls" is upbeat, jangly pop straight out of 1964.
As cool as its concept may be, SaturnalienS succeeds on the strength of its tunes. Baglio's affection for the heyday of rock and roll is not mere nostalgia. He and his bandmates appreciate the timeless art of two-to-three minute rock and roll songs with roaring guitars, memorable melodies, and choruses made for the radio. In a modern world full of bands filling ultra-specific niches, The Amplifier Heads still aim to be a great rock and roll band, period. On this planet and beyond, such a thing will never go out of style. SaturnalienS is out now on your home of the hits --- the mighty Rum Bar Records!
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